Saturday, August 21, 2010

The "Khan" of Dumplings?

Dumplings, the delicious steamed treat enjoyed throughout Asia. Whether you have them boiled, fried, or steamed they definitely manage to satisfy any hunger. However the history of these little guys always seem to be the subject of debate. Being married to a Mongolian I get my own history lesson on who invented these little guys. According to my wife the dumpling is the creation of Mongolia, the country of origin of Chinggis Khan(otherwise known as Genghis Khan in the West),where it is known as Buuz. Whereas Chinese historians claim that their historical texts trace back dumplings to 1000-1200 AD. Regardless of who created the dumpling they are truly simple yet delicious. It is also a fundamental staple of the Mongolian diet, they can be found almost everywhere, much in the same way pizza can be found in America.

The filling recipe should be used as a base and can be adjusted according to personal taste.* An easy way of checking to see if the seasoning is just right is take a little tablespoon amount of the mixture and fry it. Then you should be able to accurately gauge the flavor of the filling.

Recipe For Dough

2 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup water

Directions

In a large bowl combine the beef, onion, salt, black pepper, and garlic. Use your hand to incorporate

all the ingredients together.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour and the water to form a dough, get it to a nice consistency where it does not stick to your hands. Then just let the dough rest for about 20 minutes. After the dough has rested the hard part begins, creating the round sheets to hold the filling. Take a little piece of the dough and roll it out to form a circle which will have a diameter that is 3-4 inches. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the dough, then pinch an area of the dough and continue to pinch in a clockwise direction till you form a dumpling. If done correctly the dumpling should have a hole in the center just like in the pictures. It may take a little practice, but remember that even if it comes out ugly it will still taste great. Steam them for about 20 minutes in a steamer, then with the lid or a newspaper fan the dumplings till the dumpling starts to slightly change its color to a reddish tint. Then get some ketchup, seasoned sauce, or soy sauce and enjoy with some potato salad and pickles.